This invention pertains generally to microwave clothes dryers and, more particularly, to an end of cycle detector and method for a microwave clothes dryer.
Conventional tumble dryers use a variety of techniques for sensing fabric dryness to determine the end of a drying cycle. The most common utilizes a metallic device that makes direct contact with the tumbling fabric and monitors electrical resistance as an indication of the moisture content of the fabric. Another method is to measure the relative humidity of air in the exhaust vent, although the reliability of this method is limited whenever the ambient relative humidity is high.
These methods are less effective when utilized in microwave clothes dryers. This is especially true for the metallic contact sensor where arcing can occur between the sensor and metal objects such as buttons, buckles or zippers in the clothes.
It is in general an object of the invention to provide a new and improved end of cycle detector and method for a microwave clothes dryer.
Another object of the invention is to provide an end of cycle detector and method of the above character which overcome the limitations and disadvantages of the prior art.